making news in "america this morning," the re-election. president barack obama wins four more years. >> i've never been more hopeful about our future. i have never been more hopeful about america. >> with a resounding electoral win and a narrow nod in the popular vote, the president lays out his first priority for his second term. >> tonight you voted for action, not politics as usual. you elected us to focus on your jobs, not ours. >> there were cheers in chicago and tears in boston. after the long hard fight, it was all over for the challenger. >> like so many of you, paul and i have left everything on the field. we have given our all to this campaign. >> now after the bruising campaign and facing a congress as divided as it was before the

election, president obama and the country prepare for the next four years. >> thank you, america! god bless you! god bless these united states. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "america this morning" with rob nelson and paula faris. good wednesday morning, everybody. four years ago barack obama stood on the brink of history the morning after his election. now four years later he stands on the brink of a second term. >> the president has won re-election after a hard-fought campaign, saying he returned to the white house more determined and decisive than ever. >> and he claimed a decisive and sweeping victory over challenger mitt romney although the popular vote is a lot tighter. >> but in the end, almost all of the key battleground states, including ohio and virginia, they went the president's way

and that put him over the top. we have two reports to begin our coverage. >> tahman bradley is in boston but first abc's t.j. winick is with the obama team in chicago. i assume the party may still be going on. good morning, t.j. >> reporter: rob and paula, a good morning to you. that's right. it was actually a narrow win gave president obama a decisive victory despite an unemployment rate that posed a serious threat to his 2012 campaign. president barack obama won a second term tuesday after a race that was primarily fought in just a handful of battleground states. >> you, the american people, reminded us that while our road has been hard, while our journey has been long, we have picked ourselves up, we have fought our way back, and we know in our hearts that for the united states of america, the best is yet to come.

>> reporter: florida is still too close to call, but even if romney won the state, obama still handily beats him in the electoral college vote. the popular vote will likely be closer. >> and weather i earned your vote or not, i have listened to you, i have learned from you, and you've made me a better president. >> reporter: obama beat mitt romney after nabbing almost every one of the crucial 12 battleground states. around 1:00 a.m. eastern, romney spoke to supporters in boston to let them know he had made a concession call to the president. >> i have just called president obama to congratulate him on his victory. his supporters and his campaign also deserve congratulations. >> reporter: the former massachusetts governor said it was time to put aside partisan bickering and work together for the good of the country. >> this is a time of great challenges for america, and i pray that the president will be successful in guiding our nation. >> reporter: the newly

re-elected president spent the night here in chicago. he has no public events scheduled for today. he and the first family arrive back at the white house at 5:30 this afternoon. rob and paula? >> and, t.j., what demographics kind of helped him seal the deal? >> reporter: well, the president really won bing among african-americans, women, and latinos, and that's certainly what they were counting on. in fact, he won among latinos by an even greater margin than he did four years ago, and that actually raises serious questions about the future of the republican party and their greater broad appeal. >> all right. t.j. winick there in chicago. thank you, t.j. get some sleep. now let's get the view from boston. tahman bradley has been there all week. and, tahman, was the romney campaign really prepared for this? >> reporter: no, i don't think so, paula. mitt romney told reporters

yesterday that he only prepared a victory speech, which might explain why it took him so long to come out last night and deliver his concession remarks. the romney campaign felt like they had momentum over the final month, especially after that strong performance in the first debate. they thought they were hitting a target among their republican base voters, but in the end it wasn't enough. >> and, of course, let the monday morning quarterbacking or wednesday morning quarterbacking begin, but what is some early speculation from the pundits out there as to exactly what went wrong with romney's campaign? >> reporter: well, rob, a lot of things went wrong. first of all, the obama campaign defined mitt romney before mitt romney was able to define himself. they ran a number of hard-hitting ads attacking romney's strength. romney presenting himself as a successful businessperson who could fix the struggling economy, but the obama campaign tore into that, and romney never successfully responded. the other thing is the romney campaign was operating under the assumption that the voting electorate would look like it looked for the past 60 years.

and that's fine, but they were running against president obama who fundamentally changed the voting electorate in 2008, and so they did not garner sufficient enough support among young voters and blacks and latinos. in the end just having white voters and men was not enough. >> the country is changing. >> yeah. mitt has gone on record and said if this doesn't work out he's going to hang up his political cleats, so to speak. so what is next for the governor? >> reporter: well, you know, in the concession remarks last night, he said that he was praying for president obama's success and he wants the country to come together. i wonder if that's opening the door to the possibility of helping the president in a formal way or perhaps in an informal way. but keep in mind that ann romney, of course, has health concerns and she wants this to be the final campaign. perhaps romney will do something to help one of his sons' businesses, or maybe he just wants to be around for his grand children. >> maybe the first order of business will be a long nap.

i think he's earned that for sure. tahman bradley, live for us -- >> reporter: i think we all need that. >> amen to that. thanks to tahman bradley this morning. and the major challenge for the white house will be the divided congress. republicans have retained control of the house, though some races are still too close to call. >> speaker john boehner said the elections were a mandate to take, quote, steps together to boost the economy. >> and democrats have strength in the senate by taking away two seats away from the republicans in indiana and massachusetts and winning a key race in virginia. in maine independent angus king won the seat held by republican olympia snowe. and the senate battle in massachusetts was among the most closely watched races last night. harvard law professor elizabeth warren beat incumbent republican scott brown. there will now be a record number of women serving in the u.s. senate. >> go, girls. and in missouri claire mccaskill managed to keep her senate seat. they say todd akin badly damaged

his political campaign with his comments about pregnancy and rape, and we'll keep a close eye on michele bachmann. it looks like her seat is in jeopardy as well. >> and there was some backlash. and we have all the state-by-state results online. for a closer look at that, check out abc.com. so what is next now that president obama has pulled off such a decisive win? >> and we're going tell you. up next, the real story behind this election and what it could mean for the next four years. you are watching a special edition of "america this morning." you're watching a special edition of "america this morning." ♪ a portion of every bottle that they sell goes to fight ♪ ♪ breast cancer and i think that's swell. ♪ ♪ the more you take, the more they'll pay, ♪ ♪ so make them write a big check today. ♪ ♪ and if you're feeling a little slow, ♪ ♪ then 5-hour energy will help you go. ♪ ♪ so buy a bottle of pink lemonade and ♪ ♪ you can help fight breast cancer today. ♪

but kissing is at an all-time high! i want answers! oh. right. kay. [ female announcer ] kay jewelers -- where you can now save on these diamond fashions. right. ♪ every kiss begins with kay right. why they're always there to talk. i love you, james. don't you love me? i'm a robot. i know. i know you're a robot! but there's more in you than just circuits and wires! uhhh. (cries) a machine can't give you what a person can. that's why ally has knowledgeable people there for you, night and day. ally bank. your money needs an ally.

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inspired than ever about the work there is to do and the future that lies ahead. >> president obama celebrating a decisive win this wednesday morning with 303 electoral votes. he needed only 270. >> the president is holding a slim lead in the popular vote. i believe the counting is still going on down in florida a little bit. so we'll get those numbers, i guess, sometime later this week. >> no surprise there. >> we'll have plenty to talk about, of course. this morning we spoke with our washington senior editor rick klein. >> we asked if a new era of bipartisanship can actually now begin. >> reporter: the voters did not give president obama a mandate, but what he can do now is create that mandate. i think if he begins to governor like the promise of barack obama back in 2008, back in 2004 at the beginning of the democratic convention, if he begins to bring that piece of america today, this is a broad coalition.

yes, it's a divided country but this is a new america speaking out in a pretty loud voice saying this is the leadership we wanted, and what they're craving right now is a leadership moment, and that's when the president has an opportunity. >> the headline tonight is about the president and how well he did and how it defied all expectations in pundits. no one expected the electoral gap to be as wide as it was. how did he pull it off? >> it's the perfect combination of demographics and tactics. on the demographic side he took advantage of the surge of young voters and minority voters. he was able to bring home hispanics in record numbers. there was never before where we had seen double-digit turnout. and then on top of that, tactics. what they delivered for him in the upper midwest were the old reliable white working-class voters, and he did that by destroying the other side and deploying his resources to find the other guy before he had a chance to hit him. >> do you think the republicans have to take a look at themselves in the mirror and you look at who the president got support from. 38 points with single women, strong latino population, and,

like you said, with the lowest voting from white males in presidential history. >> right. there's serious soul-searching that's going to happen in the republican party, and the problem for them is the path forward is even more pessimistic because none of the demographics that they appealed to in this election are growing demographics. so they had one last chance to eek out a formula they used in the past and it didn't work, so it's going to be back to the drawing board. >> rick klein also tweeted this. he said three-quarters of the nationwide exit poor was poor. but in almost every one they blamed bush, they don't blake obama. they definitely got that message across as well. >> that explains a lot. well, this election was also about pressing social issues from gay marriage to legalizing marijuana. >> the historic decisions made by voters across the country coming up next on "america this morning." that's why walgreens pharmacists will help you find the plan that works for you. and now that we're a preferred pharmacy

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those girls are growing up before our eyes, aren't they? >> yes, they are. >> in his victory speech, president obama said we are more than red states and ta ♪ those girls are growing up before our eyes, aren't they? >> yes, they are. >> in his victory speech, president obama said we are more than red states and blue states. we are the united states. >> but take a look at the red and blue here, and you see the states the president actually won last night. in his speech he thanked every american who voted and made their voice heard. >> the american people reminded us that while our road has been hard, while our journey has been long, we have picked ourselves up. we have fought our way back. and we know in our hearts that for the united states of america, the best is yet to come. by itself the recognition that we have common hopes and dreams won't end all the gridlock or solve all our problems or substitute for the painstaking work of building consensus and making the difficult compromises needed to move this country forward.

but that common bond is where we must begin. our economy is recovering. a decade of war is ending. a long campaign is now over. i believe we can keep the promise of our founders, the idea that if you're willing to work hard, it doesn't matter who you are or where you come from or what you look like or where you love. it doesn't matter whether you're black or white or hispanic or asian or native american or young or old or rich or poor, abled, disabled, gay or straight, you can make it here in america if you're willing to try. i believe we can seize this future together because we are not as divided as our politics suggest. we're not as cynical as the pundits believe. we are greater than the sum of

our individual ambitions. and we remain more than a collection of red states and blue states. we are and forever will be the united states of america, and together with your help and god's grace, we will continue our journey forward. >> whipping that crowd up. >> mm-hmm. a gracious mitt romney addressing his supporters in boston, not so riled up there. >> no, a different mood, saying the nation is at a critical point. romney said he would pray for president obama's success. >> i have just called president obama to congratulate him on his victory. his supporters and his campaign also deserve congratulations. i wish all of them well, but particularly the president, the first lady, and their daughters. this is a time of great challenges for america. and i pray that the president will be successful in guiding our nation. the nation, as you know, is at a critical point. at a time like this, we can't risk partisan bickering and political posturing.

our leaders have to reach across the aisle to do the people's work, and we look to democrats and republicans and government at all levels to put the people before politics. i believe in america. i believe in the people of america. americans also weighed in on two social issues. voters in colorado and washington state legalized recreational use of marijuana. adults will be allowed to possess small amounts of pot, but it will be taxed. >> that's going to set up a showdown with the federal government, which outlaws the drug. massachusetts also approved marijuana for medical use. meanwhile maryland and maine have become the first states to approve same-sex marriage by popular vote. we're still awaiting results from washington. voters in minnesota also said no to banning gay marriage in their state constitution. and over in wisconsin, tammy baldwin has become the first

openly gay candidate to win a u.s. senate seat. >> a really crazy night if you look at all the combined things. a real shift to the left for the country. it sets a new political stage for sure. >> precedent-setting, for sure. the northeast is bracing for another mayor superior storm today. airlines already canceling flights. coming up, where and when the storm will hit. i decided enough is enough. ♪ [ spa lady ] i started enbrel. it's clinically proven to provide clearer skin. [ rv guy ] enbrel may not work for everyone -- and may not clear you completely, but for many, it gets skin clearer fast, within 2 months, and keeps it clearer up to 9 months. [ male announcer ] because enbrel®, etanercept, suppresses your immune system, it may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal, events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, and nervous system and blood disorders have occurred. before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis and discuss whether you've been to a region

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jubilation outside 1600 pennsylvania avenue. cheering supporters of president obama gathered outside the white house to celebrate his re-election, while 700 miles away, the president was delivering, of course, his big victory speech in chicago. many voters in the storm zone were undeterred even though many still don't have homes or power following hurricane sandy. >> many had to cast their

ballots in tents and other makeshift polling sites, taking shuttle buses and enduring some very long lines. displaced new jersey residents were allowed to vote by e-mail or fashion, but the electronic option simply overwhelmed the county clerks there. >> a lot of them said voting's the only thing they have left. and now those people struggling to recover from hurricane sandy are about to face a new threat, a nor'easter packing heavy winds, rain, even snow. >> here we go again. accuweather's meteorologist jim dickey is tracking the storm right now and has the latest. jim? >> good morning rob and paula. here's our budding storm system this morning. brought some rainfall to coastal north carolina. through tuesday evening, it will strengthen and move its way northward. as we head forward through the day, what can we expect? well, the system is moving faster than first anticipated. through the morning hours, we're really going to see some rain and strong, gusty winds. winds out of the northwest and northeast, hence the term "nor'easter" here.

there's going to be significant coastal flooding and significant beach erosions. it's unfortunately impacting the same areas impacted by sandy. it should be noted this is not sandy. it's not going to bring the same impact, but impactful all the same. even places like philadelphia could see light accumulations of snow. rob and paula, back to you. >> all right. thanks, jim. and now to a truly dedicated voter. a first-time mom-to-be in chicago began feeling labor pains. but instead of rushing to the hospital, 21-year-old galicia malone grabbed her bag and ran to her polling place. >> it was her first chance to vote in a presidential election, and she wasn't going to miss it, even though her water had broken and her contractions were, get this, five minutes apart. inside the voting booth, she kept telling herself, read and breathe. read and breathe. she says she wanted to set an example for her new daughter. and, you know, sometimes going to the polling stations can be as painful as birth. >> you have to admire her commitment. she was heard yesterday. for some of you, your local news is next. and for everyone else, we'll be back with the obama

celebration, the romney concession, and how it's all being covered. with the obama celebration. and one of the most cited economists in the world. professor sargent, can you tell me what cd rates will be in two years? no. if he can't, no one can. that's why ally has a raise your rate cd. ally bank. your money needs an ally. a deep, throbbing, persistent ache. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia, thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain.

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and we welcome you back to "america this morning." president obama and his family are heading back to the white house today following the president's decisive re-election. in his victory speech, mr. obama sounding some bipartisan tones, even saying that he wants to meet with mitt romney. >> here in new york, times square filled with cheering obama supporters. the president fared especially well among hispanic voters and single women and also enjoyed the broadest support among democrats in exit polls with since jimmy carter back in '76. >> a gracious mitt romney telling supporters even though the principles they fought for will endure. romney called for unity and insists the nation cannot risk more partisan bickering. >> we'll see if they do it. easy words, but we'll see what happens when the new congress takes office in january, what can actually be done here. but, of course, this is the big headline of the morning.

i'll give you a taste of what the newspapers are showing this morning. this is the cover of "the new york times." it simply says, "obama's night," right there at the top of the page. a smiling mr. obama yesterday in one of the campaign offices near his home in chicago. >> and over on the left coast, the "l.a. times" says "obama again. the swing states stealing the second term." a nice little thumbs-up from the president there. >> absolutely. and this one here from "the washington post," a simple headline, which simply says, "obama wins." so you see it right there. they did a bunch of local interviews and asked him, were you really emotional and/or was it just cold? he kind of said it was a mix of both. he was in iowa giving a speech. so it was a mix of emotions and cold winds blowing in his face a little bit, but clearly he's a little emotional tonight. >> and leave it to "the new york post" for this one. "barack for more." back for more, get it? >> they did not endorse him. that was interesting. that's the front page of "the post" this morning. it's the talk of the country.

it will be for the next few days as america kind of settles in and gets past an eternal and very divisive campaign. hopefully all of that chatter about bipartisanship actually materializes. either way, we move forward and move on and hope we make progress as a country, you know? >> how many millions did we spend on retaining the status quo? >> well, we'll see if it's a status quo once they work together. hopefully there's a new flavor in d.c. but $6 billion in aggregate spending in two years on this campaign. >> not with an "m," with a "b." >> it's an exercise in democracy, and it's over for another four years. that's what's making news in america this wednesday morning. >> we leave you with some of the images from this historic election. news in america this wednesday morning. we leave you with some of the historic images from this election.

making news in "america this morning," the re-election. president barack obama wins four more years. >> i've never been more hopeful about our future. i have never been more hopeful about america. >> with a resounding electoral win and a narrow nod in the popular vote, the president lays out his first priority for his second term. >> tonight you voted for action, not politics as usual. you elected us to focus on your jobs, not ours. >> there were cheers in chicago and tears in boston. after the long hard fight, it was all over for the challenger. >> like so many of you, paul and i have left everything on the field. we have given our all to this campaign. >> now after the bruising campaign and facing a congress as divided as it was before the

election, president obama and the country prepare for the next four years. >> thank you, america! god bless you! god bless these united states. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "america this morning" with rob nelson and paula faris. good wednesday morning, everybody. four years ago barack obama stood on the brink of history the morning after his election. now four years later he stands on the brink of a second term. >> the president has won re-election after a hard-fought campaign, saying he returns to the white house more determined and more inspired than ever. >> and he claimed a decisive and sweeping electoral victory over challenger mitt romney, although the popular vote is a lot tighter. >> but in the end, almost all of the key battleground states, including ohio and virginia,

they went the president's way and that put him over the top. we have two reports to begin our coverage. >> tahman bradley is in boston, but first abc's t.j. winick is with the obama team in the windy city of chicago. i assume the party may still be going on. good morning, t.j. >> reporter: rob and paula, a good morning to you. that's right. it was actually a series of narrow state wins that gave president obama a decisive victory despite an unemployment rate that posed a serious threat to his 2012 campaign. president barack obama won a second term tuesday after a race that was primarily fought in just a handful of battleground states. >> you the american people have reminded us that while our road has been hard, while our journey has been long, we have picked ourselves up, we have fought our way back, and we know in our hearts that for the united states of america, the best is yet to come.

>> reporter: florida is still too close to call, but even if romney won the state, obama still handily beats him in the electoral college vote. the popular vote will likely be closer. >> and weather i earned your vote or not, i have listened to you, i have learned from you, and you've made me a better president. >> reporter: obama beat mitt romney after nabbing almost every one of the crucial 12 battleground states. around 1:00 a.m. eastern, romney spoke to supporters in boston to let them know he had made a concession call to the president. >> i have just called president obama to congratulate him on his victory. his supporters and his campaign also deserve congratulations. >> reporter: the former massachusetts governor said it was time to put aside partisan bickering and work together for the good of the country. >> this is a time of great challenges for america, and i pray that the president will be successful in guiding our nation.

>> reporter: the newly re-elected president spent the night here in chicago. he has no public events scheduled for today. he and the first family arrive back at the white house at 5:30 this afternoon. rob and paula? >> and, t.j., what demographics kind of helped him seal the deal? >> reporter: well, the president really won bing among african-americans, women, and latinos, and that's certainly what they were counting on. in fact, he won among latinos by an even greater margin than he did four years ago, and that actually raises serious questions about the future of the republican party and their greater broad appeal. >> all right. t.j. winick there in chicago. thank you, t.j. get some sleep. now let's get the view from boston. tahman bradley has been there all week. and, tahman, was the romney campaign really prepared for this? >> reporter: no, i don't think so, paula. mitt romney told reporters yesterday that he only prepared

a victory speech, which might explain why it took him so long to come out last night and deliver his concession remarks. the romney campaign felt like they had momentum over the final month, especially after that strong performance in the first debate. they thought they were hitting a target among their republican base voters, but in the end it wasn't enough. >> and, of course, let the monday morning quarterbacking or wednesday morning quarterbacking begin, but what is some early speculation from the pundits out there as to exactly what went wrong with romney's campaign? >> reporter: well, rob, a lot of things went wrong. first of all, the obama campaign defined mitt romney before mitt romney was able to define himself. they ran a number of hard-hitting ads attacking romney's strength. romney presenting himself as a successful businessperson who could fix the struggling economy, but the obama campaign tore into that, and romney never successfully responded. the other thing is the romney campaign was operating under the assumption that the voting electorate would look like it looked for the past 60 years. and that's fine, but they were running against president obama who fundamentally changed the voting electorate in 2008, and

so they did not garner sufficient enough support among young voters and blacks and latinos. in the end just having white voters and men was not enough. >> the country is changing. >> yeah. mitt has gone on record and said if this doesn't work out, he's going to hang up his political cleats, so to speak. so what is next for the governor? >> reporter: well, you know, in the concession remarks last night, he said that he was praying for president obama's success and he wants the country to come together. i wonder if that's opening the door to the possibility of romney helping the president in a formal way in his next administration or perhaps in an informal way. but keep in mind that ann romney, of course, has health concerns and she wants this to be the final campaign. perhaps romney will do something to help one of his sons' businesses, or maybe he just wants to be around his grandchildren. >> maybe the first order of business will be a long nap. i think he's earned that for sure. tahman bradley, live for us -- >> reporter: i think we all need

that. >> amen to that. thanks to tahman bradley this live in boston this morning. and the main challenge for the white house will be the divided congress. republicans have retained control of the house, though some races are still too close to call. >> speaker john boehner said the elections were a mandate to take, quote, steps together to boost the economy. >> and democrats have strength in their control of the senate by taking two seats away from the republicans in indiana and massachusetts and winning a key race in virginia. in maine independent angus king won the seat held by republican olympia snowe. and the senate battle in massachusetts was among the most closely watched races last night. harvard law professor elizabeth warren beat incumbent republican scott brown. there will now be a record number of women serving in the u.s. senate. >> go, girls. in missouri, democrat claire mccaskill managed to keep her senate seat.

they say todd akin badly damaged his political campaign with his comments about pregnancy and rape. and we'll keep a close eye on michele bachmann. it looks like her seat is in jep jeopardy in minnesota as well. >> and there was some backlash. and we have all the state-by-state results online. for a closer look at that, check out abc.com. so what is next now that president obama has pulled off such a decisive win? >> and we're going tell you. up next, the real story behind this election and what it could mean for the next four years. you are watching a special edition of "america this morning." years. you're watching a special edition of "america this morning." ♪ a portion of every bottle that they sell goes to fight ♪ ♪ breast cancer and i think that's swell. ♪ ♪ the more you take, the more they'll pay, ♪ ♪ so make them write a big check today. ♪ ♪ and if you're feeling a little slow, ♪ ♪ then 5-hour energy will help you go. ♪ ♪ so buy a bottle of pink lemonade and ♪ ♪ you can help fight breast cancer today. ♪

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work there is to do and the future that lies ahead. >> president obama celebrating a decisive win this wednesday morning with 303 electoral votes. he needed only 270. >> the president is holding a slim lead in the popular vote. i believe the counting is still going on down in florida a little bit. so we'll get those numbers, i guess, sometime later this week. >> no surprise there. we'll have plenty to talk about, of course. this morning we spoke with our washington senior editor rick klein. >> we asked if a new era of bipartisanship can actually now begin. >> reporter: the voters did not give president obama a mandate, but what he can do now is create that mandate. i think if he begins to govern like the promise of barack obama back in 2008, back in 2004 at the beginning of the democratic convention, if he begins to bring that piece of america together, this is a broad coalition.

yes, it's a divided country but this is a new america speaking out in a pretty loud voice saying this is the leadership we wanted, and what they're craving right now is a leadership moment, and that's when the president has an opportunity. >> the headline tonight is about the president and how well he did and how it defied all expectations in pundits. no one expected the electoral gap to be as wide as it was. how did he pull it off? >> it's the perfect combination of demographics and tactics. on the demographic side he took advantage of the surge of young voters and minority voters. he was able to bring home hispanics in record numbers. there was never before where we had seen double-digit turnout. and then on top of that, tactics. what they delivered for him in the upper midwest were the old reliable white working-class voters, and he did that by destroying the other side and deploying his resources to find the other guy before he had a chance to hit him. >> do you think the republicans have to take a look at themselves in the mirror and you look at who the president got support from. 38 points with single women,

strong latino population, and, like you said, with the lowest voting from white males in presidential history. >> right. there's serious soul-searching that's going to happen in the republican party, and the problem for them is the path forward is even more pessimistic because none of the demographics that they appealed to in this election are growing demographics. so they had one last chance to eek out one last election using the old formula they used in the past and it didn't work, so it's going to be back to the drawing board. >> rick klein also tweeted this. he said three-quarters of the nationwide exit poor was poor. but in almost every one they blamed bush, they don't blake obama. they definitely got that message across as well. >> that explains a lot. well, this election was also about pressing social issues from gay marriage to legalizing marijuana. >> the historic decisions made by voters across the country coming up next on "america this morning." that's why walgreens pharmacists hd 8. and now that we're a preferred pharmacy

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those girls are growing up before our eyes, aren't they? >> yes, they are. >> in his victory speech, president obama said we are more than red states and blue states. we are the united states. >> but take a look at the red and blue here, and you see the states the president actually won last night. in his speech he thanked every american who voted and made their voice heard. >> the american people reminded us that while our road has been hard, while our journey has been long, we have picked ourselves up. we have fought our way back. and we know in our hearts that for the united states of america, the best is yet to come. by itself the recognition that we have common hopes and dreams won't end all the gridlock or solve all our problems or substitute for the painstaking work of building consensus and making the difficult compromises needed to move this country

forward. but that common bond is where we must begin. our economy is recovering. a decade of war is ending. a long campaign is now over. i believe we can keep the promise of our founders, the idea that if you're willing to work hard, it doesn't matter who you are or where you come from or what you look like or where you love. it doesn't matter whether you're black or white or hispanic or asian or native american or young or old or rich or poor, abled, disabled, gay or straight, you can make it here in america if you're willing to try. i believe we can seize this future together because we are not as divided as our politics suggest. we're not as cynical as the pundits believe. we are greater than the sum of

our individual ambitions. and we remain more than a collection of red states and blue states. we are and forever will be the united states of america, and together with your help and god's grace, we will continue our journey forward. >> whipping that crowd up. >> mm-hmm. a gracious mitt romney addressing his supporters in boston, not so riled up there. >> no, a different mood, saying the nation is at a critical point. romney said he would pray for president obama's success. >> i have just called president obama to congratulate him on his victory. his supporters and his campaign also deserve congratulations. i wish all of them well, but particularly the president, the first lady, and their daughters. this is a time of great challenges for america. and i pray that the president will be successful in guiding our nation.

the nation, as you know, is at a critical point. at a time like this, we can't risk partisan bickering and political posturing. our leaders have to reach across the aisle to do the people's work, and we look to democrats and republicans and government at all levels to put the people before the politics. i believe in america. i believe in the people of america. americans also weighed in on two social issues. voters in colorado and washington state legalized recreational use of marijuana. adults will be allowed to possess small amounts of pot, but it will be taxed. >> that's going to set up a showdown with the federal government, which outlaws the drug. massachusetts also approved marijuana for medical use. meanwhile maryland and maine have become the first states to approve same-sex marriage by popular vote. we're still awaiting results from washington. voters in minnesota also said no to banning gay marriage in their state constitution. and over in wisconsin, tammy baldwin has become the first openly gay candidate to win a u.s. senate seat.

>> a really crazy night if you look at all the combined things. a real shift to the left for the country. it sets a new political stage for sure. >> precedent-setting, for sure. the northeast is bracing for another mayor superior storm today. airlines already canceling flights. coming up, where and when the storm will hit. storm will hit. i decided enough is enough. ♪ [ spa lady ] i started enbrel. it's clinically proven to provide clearer skin. [ rv guy ] enbrel may not work for everyone -- and may not clear you completely, but for many, it gets skin clearer fast, within 2 months, and keeps it clearer up to 9 months. [ male announcer ] because enbrel®, etanercept, suppresses your immune system, it may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal, events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, and nervous system and blood disorders have occurred. before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis and discuss whether you've been to a region

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jubilation outside 1600 pennsylvania avenue. cheering supporters of president obama gathered outside the white house to celebrate his re-election, while 700 miles away, the president was delivering, of course, his big victory speech in chicago. many voters in the storm zone were undeterred even though many still don't have homes or power following hurricane sandy. >> many had to cast their ballots in tents and other

makeshift polling sites, taking shuttle buses and enduring some very long lines. displaced new jersey residents were allowed to vote by e-mail or fashion, but the electronic option simply overwhelmed the county clerks there. >> a lot of them said voting's the only thing they have left. and now those people struggling to recover from hurricane sandy are about to face a new threat, a nor'easter packing heavy winds, rain, even snow. >> here we go again. accuweather's jim dickey is tracking the storm right now and has the latest. jim? >> good morning rob and paula. here's our budding storm system this morning. brought some rainfall to coastal north carolina. through tuesday evening, it will strengthen and move its way northward. as we head forward through the day, what can we expect? well, the system is moving faster than first anticipated. so through the morning hours, we're already starting to see some rain and strong, gusty winds. winds out of the northwest and northeast, hence the term "nor'easter" here. there's going to be significant coastal flooding and significant

beach erosion here. it's unfortunately impacting the same areas impacted by sandy. it should be noted this is not sandy. it's not going to bring the same impact, but impactful all the same. heavy rain up the coast, even in new england. even places like philadelphia could see light accumulations of snow. rob and paula, back to you. >> all right. thanks, jim. and now to a truly dedicated voter. a first-time mom-to-be in chicago began feeling labor pains. but instead of rushing to the hospital, 21-year-old galicia malone grabbed her bag and ran to her polling place. >> it was her first chance to vote in a presidential election, and she wasn't going to miss it, even though her water had broken and her contractions were, get this, five minutes apart. inside the voting booth, she kept telling herself, read and breathe. read and breathe. she says she wanted to set an example for her new daughter. and, you know, sometimes going to the polling stations can be as painful as birth. >> you have to admire her commitment. she was heard yesterday. all right. for some of you, your local news is next. and for everyone else, we'll be back with the obama celebration, the romney concession, and how it's all being covered. next.

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and we welcome you back to "america this morning." president obama and his family are heading back to the white house today following the president's decisive re-election. in his victory speech, mr. obama sounding some bipartisan tones, even saying that he wants to meet with mitt romney. >> here in new york, times square filled with cheering obama supporters. the president fared especially well among hispanic voters and single women and also enjoyed the broadest support among democrats in exit polls since jimmy carter back in '76. >> a gracious mitt romney telling supporters even though the principles they fought for will endure. romney called for unity and insists the nation cannot risk more partisan bickering. >> we'll see if they do it. easy words, but we'll see what happens when the new congress takes office in january, what can actually be done here. but, of course, this is the big headline of the morning. i'll give you a taste of what the newspapers are showing this morning. this is the cover of "the new york times."

it simply says, "obama's night," right there at the top of the page. a smiling mr. obama yesterday in one of the campaign offices near his home in chicago. >> and over on the left coast, the "l.a. times" says "obama again. the swing states stealing the second term." a nice little thumbs-up from the president there. >> absolutely. and this one here from "the washington post," a simple headline, which simply says, "obama wins." so you see it right there. they did a bunch of local interviews and asked him, were you really emotional and/or was it just cold? he kind of said it was a mix of both. he was in iowa giving a speech. so it was a mix of emotions and some cold winds blowing in his face a little bit. but clearly he's probably a little emotional tonight. >> and leave it to "the new york post" for this one. "barack for more." back for more, get it? >> and they did not endorse him, so that was interesting. that's the front page of "the post" this morning.

so it is the talk of the country. it will be for the next few days as america kind of settles in and gets past what seemed like an eternal and very divisive campaign. hopefully all of that chatter about bipartisanship actually materializes. either way, we move forward and move on and hope we make progress as a country, you know? >> how many millions did we spend on retaining the status quo? >> well, we'll see if it's a status quo once they work together. hopefully there's a new flavor in d.c. but $6 billion in aggregate spent on this election in two years on this campaign. >> not with an "m," with a "b." >> it's an exercise in democracy, and it's over for another four years. that's what's making news in america this wednesday morning. >> we leave you with some of the images from this historic election. news in america this wednesday morning. we leave you with some of the historic images from this election.